2013 Le Ragnaie “Vecchie Vigne VV” Brunello di Montalcino
Le Ragnaie’s 2013 “Vecchie Vigne VV” is a stunning aged Brunello coming from one of the greatest vintage from one
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Producer
Le Ragnaie
I have reviewed two wines from Le Ragnaie, from the 2013 to 2022 vintages, across Brunello di Montalcino and Toscana. Scores range from 93 to 96, averaging 95; the highest is the 2013 Le Ragnaie “Vecchie Vigne VV” Brunello di Montalcino (96 points). Le Ragnaie also features in one journal article on this site.
Le Ragnaie is a star of the new wave of Montalcino and the benchmark for high-altitude Sangiovese. Riccardo Campinoti farms vineyards at the very top of the appellation, up to about 600 metres, where the cold microclimate lengthens the season and preserves acidity. Farming is organic, and the wines are made with long macerations in concrete and aged in large Slavonian casks. They are pale in colour but intense, with blood orange, herbs and salty minerals: Brunellos of verticality and nerve rather than muscle.
The “Vecchie Vigne” Brunello comes from vines planted as early as 1968. The cold, late-ripening 2013 vintage suited the style perfectly, and a decade on it is ethereal, with dried cherry, rose petal and orange peel married to forest floor, herbs and truffle, a Brunello for Burgundy lovers.
The estate also makes a rare white, the Bianco Toscana, a field blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia and Ansonica fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral oak or concrete. It is savory and textural, with pear skin, lemon balm, chamomile, almond and crushed stone.
2021 Brunello di Montalcino – Vintage Report
If 2019 was operatic and 2020 was sunny, 2021 is the year of transparency. This is a vintage that vibrates with energy, defined by significant diurnal shifts that locked in soaring aromatics and “al dente” fruit profiles. Moving away from sheer muscle, the 2021 Brunellos are architectural and nervy, showcasing a savory, saline grip that speaks clearly of the Montalcino soil. For the collector who values elegance and tension over weight, this is a sophisticated, “intellectual” vintage that promises a fascinating evolution in the cellar.
2022 Le Ragnaie Bianco Toscana
The 2022 Le Ragnaie Bianco Toscana represents a rare white wine masterpiece from Montalcino’s most terroir-driven producer. Le Ragnaie applies